Of Sand and of Leaf
by Random1377
Summary: Just a little what-if story about a certain skeptical Leaf nin and a particular fan-wielding Sand nin... give it a shot.  Ya might like it.  Complete.
1. Declaration of War

Disclaimer: the rights to the manga series Naruto are owned by Shonen Jump publications (I'm pretty sure) and not me. Should they, or anyone affiliated with them, request it, this story will be removed from the web. Thank you.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 1

Declaration of War

By Random1377

Shikamaru laced his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of the pouring rain, if not the sound. "Kyaa," he sighed, ignoring his companion's disgusted snort, "what a hassle."

"Hey," Temari shot back, "I'm not too happy about this either."

Cracking one eye open, Shikamaru glanced over to the branch the genin girl was sitting on. "At least you've got shade," he pointed out, looking up at his own makeshift shelter of branches and leaves – a very leaky assembly, but the best he could manage in the downpour.

Temari pointedly refused to look up at her unfurled fan, smiling sweetly as she replied, "I offered to let you share, but-"

"You said you'd stab me if I touched you," Shikamaru cut in dryly. "Not much of an invitation."

"You would have been fine if you'd have kept your hands to yourself," Temari countered, bristling slightly.

Shikamaru chuckled darkly. "Yeah," he admitted, "but if I stretched the wrong way in the middle of the night, I end up with a slit throat." His brows drew down. "…probably try to do it even if I didn't touch you."

"What was that??"

"Nothing!"

Shrugging her shoulders, Temari finally glanced up. "…offer still stands," she said absently, shooting the young man a glance from the corner of her eyes.

"Pass," Shikamaru yawned. "Water dries easy enough, but blood is a pain to get out of clothes."

"I wouldn't hurt you," Temari said, now clearly annoyed, "god, get over it!"

Shikamaru grinned. "I meant your blood."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Oh stop posturing," she growled, "it doesn't suit you, you know."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Shikamaru conceded, "must be hanging around with Naruto and Sasuke too much."

Trying another tact, Temari offered him a sly smile. "You're gonna be cold over there," she pointed out, "stop being macho and come on over here – I promise I won't draw your blood."

Shikamaru pursed his lips. "No thanks," he said coolly, mentally adding, _You're__ trying too hard – definitely up to no good._

As the genin lapsed into silence, Shikamaru decided that he would be sleeping lightly this evening. As he closed his eyes once more, however, Temari suddenly spoke up. "It's too bad it's raining," she said casually, "it's a pretty night."

_Pretty?_ Shikamaru thought. _Boy there's a word I never thought I'd hear out of HER mouth. She's too… too ROUGH._

"There'd be lots of stars out tonight."

"Big fan of stargazing are you?" Shikamaru mumbled, realizing that she was not going to be quiet. For whatever reason, the young genin was in a talkative mood – and as much as he longed for a quiet moment to contemplate all they had seen and done, Shikamaru felt that the only way to get it would be to let the Sand nin get whatever was on her mind off of it.

Temari shrugged. "Yeah," she said coolly, "kind of. What about you?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes, much preferring to discuss retrieval plans, should any of his teammates be captured, or medical preparedness, should they be badly injured. Twinkling specks of light up in the sky were pretty far down on his priority list.

"Eh, I could take it or leave it," he said absently, "certainly not the kind of thing that makes much of a difference on a night like this."

_That shut you up;_ he thought tiredly, feeling oddly disappointed as the girl fell into silence once more. _Normally I wouldn't mind talking about the stars – they're not so bad… but man, there's a time and a place!_

"You're kind of a jerk."

Shikamaru snorted. "Goodnight to you too," he replied calmly.

When he got no reply, Shikamaru relaxed his body, preparing to sleep – but not too deeply, just in case. _She's just like my mom,_ he thought disgustedly, _pushy, arrogant, thinks she knows everything… man, why couldn't I be out here with someone like Hinata – she's quiet as hell. Of course, she's caught up on Naruto – he's the only one too stupid to notice it._

As his breathing grew more even, Shikamaru found his thoughts turning to more serious matters. Naruto was a long time finding his way back – and so far, Chouji, Kiba, and Neji had yet to catch up, a fact that filled Shikamaru with much concern. Had it not started raining nearly the second they had defeated the Sound nin with the flute (he never had found out her name) he would have struck out immediately to find them.

_Might as well get SOME rest,_ he thought, feeling the pleasant onset of sleep, _won't be any good if I go to find them and get slaughtered by the first genin that I come across. Yeah, Temari's with me, and she said Gaara and-_

A faint, uneasy feeling broke his train of thought – not a sound, really, but more just the sensation that something was a little off… and that kind of sensation was the kind that any shinobi alive past the age of four paid attention to very carefully.

He opened his eyes cautiously, already starting to move as he realized that there was someone looming over him. ­_F-fast!_ he thought, instantly awake, but finding himself pinned to the tree by lighting-quick hands and knees. _Ok,_ he thought, amazed that he was still alive, _find the shadow… find his shadow – damn it, it's so dark! Can't pin the shadow if I don't know which one it is!_

As his eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom, shapes grew more and more distinct… and when he finally COULD see his assailant's shadow, he faltered, too amazed to utilize his shadow clone technique as he found himself straddled by, "Temari??"

The genin's face was serious, her eyes narrowed to mere slits as she stared at the surprised young man, studying his face closely. "Am I that bad?" she asked through clenched teeth, glaring at him with open rage. "Do I really make you so sick that you can't even LOOK at me?!"

Though he tried to hide it, Shikamaru's shock must have been evident on his face, for Temari continued speaking.

"Honestly – you're the hardest person I've ever tried to talk to! You're rude, impolite, and inconsiderate! And I was trying really hard to be nice to you, too! Damn it, you really piss me off! Well? Are you going to answer me or just stare at me with that stupid expression all night?"

Shikamaru's mouth – open during her angry tirade – slowly closed. "I might have killed you," he said carefully, avoiding all of the questions posed to him in favor of simple observation. "You-"

"Kill me?" Temari snorted. "Don't make me laugh. I'm better and you know it." As Shikamaru had no reply for this, Temari continued. "Answer my question… what is it about me that makes you look away every time I try to catch your eye or start a conversation? Why won't you even acknowledge that I'm smiling at you? Damn it; look at me when I'm talking to you!!"

Shrugging as best he could with his hands pinned to his sides, Shikamaru looked her directly in the eyes and whispered, "I don't like aggressive women, ok? Nothing personal."

Not expecting to hear the truth, Temari barked a short laugh. "Aggressive?" she nearly exploded. "You've only seen me in battle – how do you know what I'm like in real life??"

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" Shikamaru muttered, raising his shield of indifference once more. "You're a Sand nin, I'm a Leaf nin – what do you care if I look at you or not?"

"I like you," Temari said – her tone surprisingly cold for the words she was saying. "Who gives a damn what village we're from? You're the only person I've ever lost to, and no matter how hard I try to be mad about it, I just can't. Since when do I NEED a reason? I just like you!"

Shikamaru pursed his lips, glancing down at his immobilized body. "You sure have a funny way of showing it," he observed.

"Grr."

Temari pushed herself forward, snatching a kiss from the chuunin before he could even blink, let alone stop her.

"Love is war," she announced, rolling off of him and rising to her feet, "and I never give up once I declare war."

Instead of replying, Shikamaru touched his lips, his face shocked and disbelieving. "You… you stole my first kiss," he muttered incredulously, not terribly concerned about this fact, but definitely unprepared for it.

Temari put her hands on her hips, offering him a razor sharp smile. "What are you going to do," she asked triumphantly, "take it back?" As the Leaf nin fumbled for words, seemingly at a loss for the first time in his life, Temari's smile widened. "You're mine, Shikamaru of the Leaf," she said boldly, "you just don't know it yet."

"And you're," Shikamaru said, pausing for effect, "insane."

If the blonde was offended by this comment, she made no sign, she simply continued smiling down at him, her eyes shining with a combination of satisfaction and determination.

Still confused by this odd turn of events, Shikamaru pressed, "What possible reason could you have for wanting someone you've been with for a cumulative total of eight hours? It doesn't even make sense."

Temari held her silence, refusing to clarify her reasons for the chuunin – for now, at any rate.

Shikamaru finally snorted and put his hands behind his head. "Yara, yara," he muttered, trying his best to seem indifferent, "do what you want…"

"Oh don't worry," Temari said smugly, leaping nimbly from his tree branch to her own, "I plan to…"

Shivering slightly – and noticing for the first time that his shroud of leaves had been fortified by hand much more skilled than his own – Shikamaru rolled onto his side.

_Lunatic,_ he thought grumpily. _Why is it that I get the psycho one to help me out?? Oh well, nothing for it now, I suppose. I just need to find Naruto and the others, get the hell back to the village – and that'll be that. She'll be out of my hair._

Naturally… things would not go EXACTLY as the young chuunin planned.

Continued… maybe…

Author's notes: ok, this is what I like to call a 'tendril fic' – just a little something I put out to test the waters and see how they feel. I've got a chapter or two more planned out, but I don't know if I'll get to them… it kind of depends on how this one comes out, since I tend to write the author's notes before I finish the chapter they go to. Heh. Also, I don't really like writing about common relationships, and I don't know what's been done in the Naruto community, so if this is too cliché, someone let me know… I'll drop it.

I didn't have a pre-reader on this one, but Six String Samurai offered me some character advice and current plot info. And in case it was unclear, this is set right around chapter 219 of the manga… since that's how much I'd read when I started writing.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


	2. Minor Inconveniences

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 2

Minor Inconveniences

By Random1377

Standing on the summit overlooking Hidden Leaf Village, Shikamaru could not help but smile. All of his teammates had made it back alive, if not in one piece. True, three members of his five-man team were laid up in the infirmary under fairly intensive care, but other than some psychological issues Naruto seemed just fine – and Lee had come out of the affair almost entirely unscathed.

That had to count for something, right?

"You've done well," Tsuande had told him upon his return. "Things should be calm for a LITTLE while, God willing, so take it easy… visit your friends."

_Well that got boring pretty quick,_ Shikamaru told himself, shaking his head as he stepped away from the edge. _Neji__ doesn't have much to say, Kiba keeps asking when he can get out, and Chouji wants me to do something about the food they're giving him. Not a single one of them wants to talk about what happened out there. Makes for pretty short visits._

Plus… there was Shikamaru's other problem.

"Come out!" he called suddenly, his voice expressing all of his annoyance. "I know you're there."

"Only because I want you to."

Shikamaru jumped, whirling around at the laughing voice behind him. "This is getting old," he said flatly, irritated by the sudden appearance of the blonde standing less than a foot away from him. "And why are you here, again? Don't you have your own village??"

Folding her arms, Temari gave him a smug grin. "I'm an ambassador," she informed him smoothly, "and even if I wasn't – I'm at war."

"Right," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "How could I forget?" He looked the young woman up and down, assessing her carefully and coming to the conclusion that she was definitely cracked. Who in her right mind declares herself to be at war with the person she supposedly likes??

_Plus the fact that she follows me around town,_ Shikamaru thought, barely repressing the urge to roll his eyes again. _What a hassle…_

"Temari," he pointed out, "there's a name for people like you."

"Determined?" the genin guessed, arching an eyebrow.

"Stalker."

Temari's smile widened. "How cute," she said dryly, "the rabbit in the snare bares its teeth. Don't worry, little rabbit," she leaned closer to him, her eyes dancing with mischief, "I never toy with my prey."

"You know," Shikamaru said lightly, "your 'love is war' comments are really starting to get on my nerves. Rabbit? Prey?? Feh… just leave me alone."

Though he had not thought it possible, Temari's smile grew even more. "I thought it would be hard to get to you," she said boldly, "but for all your so-called tactical genius, you start to buckle under the least amount of pressure."

"Only when I'm being pressured by a crazy woman who won't leave me alone," Shikamaru replied turning his back on the genin. "Find someone else to play with, mighty huntress."

"…it's you I want."

Shikamaru frowned at the seriousness in the young woman's voice, but shrugged it off as another facet of her psychosis. "The feeling's not mutual," he said, regretting the harshness of the words, but finding himself at a loss for another way to get through.

_Really,_ he thought, starting to walk away, _I never asked you to like me. You just-_

His train of thought was violently derailed as Temari's slender arm suddenly snaked around his waist, pulling him back against her body.

"You'll see," her voice resonated in his ear, soft and almost painfully intimate, "I'll make you see that I'm worth looking at."

"You-"

Shikamaru cut himself off as he whirled to face the blonde genin, finding the air behind him empty, the lingering feeling of her arm on his waist vanishing like smoke in a breeze and leaving him inexplicably chilled. He glanced all around – discretely of course, so she would not see him looking – and tried to figure out where, exactly, she had gone to ground, but he could not pick her out of the surroundings no matter how he tried.

_Why me?_ he thought irritably, _I'm not even the kind of guy to have girls swooning over me – that's Sasuke's role._

The thought of the Uchiha Genius, as he had been known in Shikamaru's household, was enough to sober the chuunin. After all… the mission to recover the young man had not gone EXACTLY as planned.

Finding that it was actually easier to think about his current problem, Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets. "Don't watch me from the shadows when I'm at home," he said softly, knowing that his voice would reach Temari's ears. "I won't forgive that."

Making his way home, Shikamaru's mind was filled with questions of why. Why was she so fixated? Why was she so persistent? Why couldn't she leave him alone? And why, in God's name, was he still thinking about it??

Forcing his mind around to other topics (the weather, birds, painful torture) the young chuunin finally reached his family's house. _Mom should be home already,_ he told himself, _and dad should be back from work pretty soon. I wonder what we're having for dinner. Well, it's barely lunch time, but she likes to start early sometimes._

He rolled his shoulders to loosen them, finding that thoughts of mundane things like dinner and his family made it much easier to avoid thinking about, "Temari?!"

"Ohayo, Shikamaru-san."

"Welcome home, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru's eyes shot from his mother, to the invading Sand nin, and back again, his mouth working for several moments before he managed to push the words, "Why is she here?" out.

"Don't be so rude," his mother admonished playfully, "I've read the reports of your mission – she saved your life. The least you could do is be courteous."

Recognizing the edge of command in his mother's voice, Shikamaru's shoulders slumped. "Welcome to my home," he said listlessly, trying to make his tone at least polite. "May I offer you something to drink?"

"No thank you, Shikamaru-kun," Temari said breezily, the triumph in her voice annoyingly obvious to Shikamaru's ears. "Oh, is kun ok? San is so formal."

Before Shikamaru could say a word, his mother waved one hand. "It's fine," she said brightly. "Though he won't let me call him that – he's a big, important chuunin now, and-"

"Aww, mom!" Shikamaru groaned. "Come on!"

"I understand," Temari said, nodding her head sagely. "He's like that with me too." Shooting Shikamaru a needle-sharp glance from the corner of her eyes, she added, "You should make him show me around town."

Shikamaru paled. _Mom'd__ make me do it, too,_ he thought disgustedly, barely keeping himself from sticking his tongue out as she mouthed, 'I'm not in the shadows.' _This isn't a girl – it's a demon sent to kill me!!_

"On second thought," Temari said unexpectedly, rising to her feet and giving Shikamaru's mother a polite bow, "maybe another time – I should really be meeting up with my brothers. Thank you for your hospitality." Stepping past Shikamaru as his mother told her to drop by any time, Temari whispered, "Your mother's very nice, Shikamaru-kun… I'm jealous."

Normally, Shikamaru liked to think about what he would say before speaking – it saved him the hassle of blurting things out and getting in trouble – but Temari was already moving past him, and if he hesitated with this barb, he would never get another chance… so he turned his head, making sure his words were for her alone, and replied to her quiet comment.

"I thought by now you'd already have plans to make her your mother-in-law."

Temari's step faltered slightly, her back instantly tense… and for a moment, Shikamaru thought she might actually snap and attack him – an oddly welcome idea, he thought suddenly, as it would give him more than ample excuse to throw her out. The genin's back relaxed, though, and she glanced at him over her shoulder, her eyes bright and assessing.

"How do you know I haven't?"

Shikamaru just snorted. _You haven't,_ he thought confidently, watching the girl make her way out of the house. _Otherwise you wouldn't have been so freaked out when I said it._

"I like her."

_Of course,_ Shikamaru thought wryly, turning back to face his mother, _she's just like you. No, wait – she's like you only worse… which I didn't even think was possible._

His mother watched him closely for a moment, then clucked her tongue and turned away, heading for the kitchen.

"What was that for?!" Shikamaru demanded, following her. "You don't know what she's really like, mom – that girl that was just here wasn't the REAL Temari of the Sand… she was just pretending! She's not that polite – really!"

His mother was smiling. "My, my," she said airily, "this is the most worked up I've seen you since Kiba's puppy chewed on your favorite comic."

Shikamaru bristled. "Kiba set Akamaru on it because I wouldn't let him read it," he said hotly, "and that's not what we're talking about right now!"

"If you say so, dear," his mother murmured.

_Great,_ Shikamaru thought, grinding his teeth in frustration, _now I'm 'dear,' so she's pretty much already ignoring me._

His mother, however, was watching him from the corner of her eye, suppressing a grin at the chuunin's obvious irritation. Very little broke through Shikamaru's thick veil of mildly annoyed indifference, she knew all too well. Certainly, he complained a lot, and had a tendency to be somewhat lazy… but as his mother, she knew that he was really very level headed and cool under fire, so to see him this flustered – by a girl, no less – was somehow quite satisfying.

_Not that I want my son to be unhappy,_ she thought pragmatically, _but too much indifference leads to apathy – and I don't think for one instant that that girl was trying to deceive me. She made it very clear, while you were away of course, that she was very interested in you – said it flat out, actually, asking if it was in any way objectionable, since she didn't want any bad blood between our houses when she took my son. Very bold._ Her smile widened. _Yes, I like that girl just fine._

"I'm going out," Shikamaru announced.

"It's getting close to lunchtime," his mother said calmly, "here, I made you a bento."

Shikamaru sighed, reluctantly accepting the small black box. "Mom," he said with some exasperation, "I'm old enough to make my own lunch."

His mother's lips compressed to a thin line. "Yes," she admitted, "but you didn't."

"I was going to get some ramen!"

"Homemade lunch is better for you."

"Mom! I'm-"

"A terribly important Chuunin," his mother cut in dryly, "I know."

Seeing the area around his mother's eyes starting to tighten, and recognizing that this argument could only end badly for him, Shikamaru held the box out in front of him and bowed formally.

"Thank you for the meal."

Beating a hasty retreat before the woman suddenly 'remembered' some chores he had to do, Shikamaru started off towards the small grove of trees outside the ninja academy. _With any luck,_ he thought optimistically, _I'll be able to eat lunch with someone I can actually talk to!_

Deliberately ignoring the sensation of eyes – Temari's eyes, specifically – tracking his every move, Shikamaru headed down the street, determined to have a quiet, enjoyable lunch.

Continued…

Author's notes: I dunno… what can I say here that has any real value?? Ok umm, how about a preview of next chapter? Cue Announcer Voice – "While eating lunch with his friends Naruto, Hinata, and TenTen, Shikamaru is faced with a sudden and unexpected attack, and only Naruto seems to be immune!! On the next episode of Sand and Leaf – Lego my Bento! Temari's awesome new technique!!" Ok, that's not really the title of the next chapter, but it sounds like it should be, doesn't it?

Mild pre-read on this chapter was courtesy of Six String Samurai. Rock on… or something.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


	3. The Woman Temari Respects

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 3

The Woman Temari Respects

By Random1377

Surrounded by friends, with his bento sitting comfortably in his lap, Shikamaru found that he was finally able to relax. He had found TenTen, Hinata, and Naruto sitting around in what had become their favorite lunch spot – a small clearing in a little copse of trees, not too far from the ninja academy. He had been oddly hesitant about joining them at first, feeling a sudden, unexpected twinge of discord at seeing the three genin talking and having a good time, but TenTen had spotted him before he could slip away, and waved him over with a happy smile.

_What WAS that all about,_ Shikamaru wondered, finally getting around to taking the lid off of his bento. _It was almost like I didn't belong here._

He pushed the thought aside, glancing around at his friends as they talked about mundane matters. Or rather, while Nartuo and TenTen talked about mundane matters.

Hinata pretty much just nodded and avoided eye contact with Naruto.

_So clueless,_ Shikamaru thought, shaking his head as Naruto gestured extravagantly with his chopsticks, caught up in telling an eager TenTen about his encounter with the legendary nin Orochamaru. _She's not even trying to hide it – she's just too shy to actually come out and say 'I like you.'_ His brow drew down slightly. _Naruto's__ lucky._

"Hey Shikamaru," TenTen said, calling him out of his ruminations, "have you seen those three Sand nins walking around town? Naruto said they're representatives, or something – is that true?"

Shikamaru blew out an exasperated breath. "Yeah, I've seen them," he muttered, pulling out a pair of chopsticks, "…more than I want to."

"Yeah," TenTen nodded, thinking that his complaint was the same as hers, "they give me the creeps – especially the one with that puppet."

"Kankoro," Naruto said helpfully around a mouthful of udon, "but he's nothing compared to Gaara – stay away from that guy."

TenTen looked incredulous. "Nothing??" she echoed. "Did you see what he did to that guy in the chuunin test?"

"Yeah," Naruto shrugged, "but when he fought-"

Suddenly he cut himself off, drawing his bento closer to his chest as he stared intently into the foliage around them, his eyes narrow and watchful.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, looking around the peaceful clearing in confusion, "is something wr-"

"Rasen Bento Kage no Jutsu!!"

A blink… and it was all over. TenTen and Hinata yelped in surprised, covering their faces as something dark passed over them, all of the assembled shinobi (save Naruto) drawing weapons as a chill wind snapped through their midst.

"L-look at that!" TenTen gasped, pointing to Shikamaru's bento.

All eyes were fixed on the small box as it spun in the chuunin's lap, a light zephyr lifting from its sides as its rotation slowed, and finally stopped, leaving it facing the young man with the hinged lid open invitingly.

Shikamaru's brows drew down – not in surprise, like Hinata and TenTen, but in anger. "Where's my lunch?!" he demanded, looking all around. "What is this? This isn't mine!"

"Looks good, though," Naruto offered, reaching with his chopsticks for a tempting piece of okra. "Mind if I-"

From nowhere, a kunai tore through the air, slicing the young genin's chopsticks in half. "Don't touch things that aren't yours!" a voice boomed from the shadows. "That's Shikamaru's lunch."

"The same goes for you!" Shikamaru grumbled. "Where's my lunch?"

"Oh man," Naruto groaned, covering his bento a moment before another gale-force wind touched down directly in the middle of their small group. "You're gonna make me spill, damn it!"

The wind faded, leaving a smiling young woman crouched on the ground in front of Shikamaru with one hand planted flat in front of her and the other clutching a huge fan over her back like a shield. "You saw me," she grinned at Naruto, "not bad, kid."

"You're not THAT much older," Naruto pointed out, pulling a spare set of chopsticks out of his pocket, "now stop with the wind crap – you're pissing me off!"

Shikamaru was on the verge of demanding his old lunch back when TenTen suddenly spoke, her tone as cold as a winter storm. "It's YOU," she said, her tone brittle as her hands itched towards the shirikens secreted about her body. "I still owe you for the last time we met, you Sand b-"

"Uh-uh," Temari said, whipping the fan off of her back and flicking it towards TenTen so that the edge stopped an inch from her throat. "Don't start something you can't finish, little girl."

Things seemed tense as the two girls shot daggers at each other with their eyes, and looks may have escalated into something more physical had Shikamaru not said, "Oi, stop causing trouble." When the Sand genin glanced his way, he held up the bento with one hand, leaning back on the other as he blandly asked, "What's this supposed to be…? And where's MY lunch?"

Temari pulled her fan back, furling it and setting it within easy reach before sitting down at Shikamaru's side. "I made you a better one," she said matter-of-factly. "It's only proper, after all, since-"

"Wait," TenTen cut in, glancing at the still-flabbergasted Hinata and the casually-eating Naruto. "Is it just me?" she said angrily, "Or is this Sand freak actually HITTING on Shikamaru??"

Naruto shrugged. "Got me," he said, slurping up a piece of tempura, "I don't know much about that kind of stuff."

_Obviously,_ four minds shot back in perfect synchronicity.

"…what?"

Ignoring the look of bafflement on Naruto's face, Temari said, "It IS what it looks like… I've decided that I want to be with Shikamaru."

TenTen's response was eloquent, and to the point.

"Why??"

"Hey!"

"Well, no offense, Shikamaru-kun," TenTen said with a nervous smile, "but you're… you're kind of a slacker… and… and you complain a lot. I mean, well, you're cute and all – but you're just… you know what I'm trying to say, don't you Hinata? Back me up, here!"

Hinata, who had been looking at Naruto as if she'd finally figured out that no amount of subtlety would EVER get his attention, and perhaps more direct action was in order, shook herself and stared down at the ground, blushing fiercely as she was forced to speak.

"T-TenTen only means that… you don't seem like… you're interested in dating," she said haltingly, "that's all. Please don't be offended, Shikamaru-kun."

"Would you all stop calling me kun?" Shikamaru complained, rubbing his face tiredly, "I'm at least two months older than all of you, you know."

Temari smiled wolfishly, settling back on the grass and discretely covering his hand with her own. "Not me," she said simply, "now try your bento – it took me all morning to make it."

"…I thought things were peaceful there for a minute."

"Grr."

"If I try it, can I have my own back?" Shikamaru asked doggedly.

"No," Temari said whimsically, "I was going to give the other one back if you didn't like this one… until I realized that you would say you hated it even if it was the best thing you'd ever had."

"Wow," TenTen muttered, trying hard not to sound impressed, "she DOES know you pretty well…"

"If you're worried about poison," Naruto piped up, ignoring Temari's look of indignation, "I'll be glad to try it for you. We're friends, after all."

"No thanks," Shikamaru said dryly, "I've seen you 'try' things."

With a gusty sigh, he set the bento in his lap, pressing his hands together and muttering, 'Itdakimasu,' under his breath before tentatively picking up a piece of hotdog (carved into an octopus, naturally) and popping it into his mouth. Trying to ignore his audience, he selected several more morsels from the box, chewing each with the same, careful precision.

Unable to bear the suspense, TenTen blurted, "Well??" shooting a glance at Temari that clearly said, 'bet it's awful!'

Shikamaru kept his head down as he continued to eat, his mouth barely moving as he whispered, "It's… not bad."

"Bah, watching people eat is boring," Naruto announced suddenly, "let's go watch the new trainees – Konohamaru's usually good for some laughs… kid still thinks no one will notice a rock with eyes crawling across the grass."

TenTen – anxious to be away from the Sand nin – agreed almost as fast as Hinata, and together, the three excused themselves, leaving Temari and Shikamaru alone.

"Now there's a girl that knows the man she wants," Termari muttered, watching Hinata until she disappeared into the distance.

Shikamaru brought a bite of rice to his lips. "Only Naruto doesn't know," he muttered, "she's a little pathetic about it."

"No," Temari said seriously, "her I can respect. She doesn't move all that fast… but she never stops, she never gives up, and she doesn't try to hide what she feels – even for a second." She glanced at Shikamaru, nodding her approval. "In this kind of warfare, she's the kind of competition I fear the most."

Shikamaru gave her a sardonic stare, setting the half-eaten bento to the side. "I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

Temari averted her eyes. "Just one more sign that you don't know anything about me," she countered bluntly.

"Fine," Shikamaru said, exasperated, "tell me something about yourself."

"Nope."

"Huh??"

"I said no," Temari murmured, rising to her feet and brushing fragments of crumbled leaves off of her backside. "You don't really want to know, you just want me tell you something so you can pretend to think about it and get me to shut up."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Well, I DO want you to shut up," he admitted, "I can't argue with that."

Putting her hands on her hips, Temari stared out at the horizon. "I won't give up, you know," she said quietly, "no matter how mean you are to me, I won't give up until you really see me."

"I'm not being mean to you," Shikamaru said levelly, "I'm just not interested in you."

Temari glanced at him over her shoulder, her voice entirely serious as she replied, "Yes you are."

"Whatever."

Shrugging indifferently, Temari turned around and dropped into a crouch, resting her hands on her knees and staring into Shikamaru's eyes for a long moment. "Just look at me sometime," she said bluntly, nearly making him jump with the force in her voice. "I'm worth seeing, Shikamaru-kun."

Squirming uncomfortably, Shikimaru muttered, "Whatev-"

Temari's hand flashed out, covering his mouth firmly. "I'll make you a deal," she said quickly. "Spend the next three days with me – and really TRY to see me. If you still think I'm too 'aggressive,' after that, I'll change. Deal?"

Waiting until his mouth was free, Shikamaru asked, "So you'll leave me alone?"

"I didn't say that," Temari replied, her lips quirking up at the corners, "what I'm saying is… if you don't like me the way I am in three days time, I will MAKE myself into the kind of woman you DO like." Her eyes flicked to where Hinata had disappeared into the distance. "I'll be just like her, if you want me to – and if you STILL don't like it after another three days, then I'll leave this town, forget we ever met, and you'll never have to see me again."

Shikmaru pursed his lips. "So… six days," he said skeptically. _Not that you'd be able to be like Hinata for three MINUTES if your life depended on it,_ he added mentally.

"Barely a sliver of a lifetime," Temari confirmed. "Come on, Shikamaru-kun – what do you have to lose?"

"Six days," Shikamaru replied instantly, lacing his hands behind his head as Temari's face darkened with anger, "but if you're serious about all this, why don't you reverse the days and try being like someone else first?"

Temari frowned. "Then you'd never see me," she whispered seriously, "and that's all I want."

"Yara, yara," the chuunin sighed, "you're such a pain. Alright, six days it is… but I hope you're ready to pack, because-"

He was cut off as Temari suddenly darted in and swiped another kiss from him, grinning as he cursed and wiped at his mouth.

"Stop DOING that!"

Temari was already rising to her feet. "Come on, Leaf-Sensei," she said brightly, offering him her hand and pulling him effortlessly to his feet.

"Come walk with me for a while…"

Continued…

Author's Notes: Yara, yara, I hope I'm using yara, yara right. In case anyone truly cares,

Rasen Bento Kage no Jutsu roughly translates to Spiral Lunchbox Shadow Technique. Unless I've been misreading translations again – which is a very good possibility. Only Temari can utilize this horrific, lunch stealing technique! …then again, she's probably the only one that wants to.

Six String Samurai provided some valuable insight on this chapter… much of which consisted of repeatedly saying, "You better not try to steal MY lunch, or I'll mess you up!" …some people.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


	4. He Who Walks Alone

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 4

He Who Walks Alone

By Random1377

Glancing around with a clear expression of boredom, Shikamaru mumbled, "Where are we going?"

They had been wandering aimlessly around town for several minutes now, and as far as he could see, they had no real destination.

"Well, you could give me that tour now," Temari suggested, after a moment of thought, "maybe… show me your favorite places?"

"Hm," Shikamaru grunted, "there's nothing that great in the village… but whatever."

Temari shrugged. "That's fine," she said, "I'd still be interested to see what you like."

"You move too fast," Shikamaru muttered darkly, coming to a halt in front of a small ramen stand. "One day we're enemies… next day you love me."

Temari glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Did I say love?" she asked coolly. "That word never crossed my lips, Shikamaru-kun… I said I like you. Now like can turn INTO love, sometimes… but…" she trailed off, seeming to lose her train of thought.

Jumping into the breach in the conversation, Shikamaru said, "But you don't just start liking someone all of the sudden. There has to be a reason."

"There is," Temari said evasively, "and you're assuming again – I never said it was all at once… I've had time to watch you in action, you know."

"When??"

"Well, when you fought me, for one," Temari said coolly, "and – in case you forgot – there was a whole MONTH before the fight where I had the chance to watch you in your village and learn more about you for the fight. So 'all at once' REALLY isn't a good way to put it."

Shikamaru frowned at the thought. "How much did you watch me?" he demanded.

The month that had preceded the chuunin fights had not been spent very productively for him. At the time, his only thoughts were of how he could get out of the last fight, if Temari proved to be too strong for him to beat. He knew his limitations, and at the time, he did not know hers – not that he truly did by this point – so he wanted to be prepared for any eventuality… and surrender was always an option he considered, especially since this was not exactly a life or death struggle.

_But she was watching ME,_ he thought, casting her a sideways glance as she considered his question, _gathering info… watching my every move. How well does she know me??_

Temari brought his mind back to the question at hand.

"I watched you every day. I had to be familiar with my opponent – not that YOU had the same concerns, but I… I had orders…"

Shikamaru's frown deepened. "Then… you already know my favorite places," he said suspiciously, filing the implications of a month's worth of close observation away for later contemplation. "Don't you?"

Giving him a radiant smile, Temari laughed, "Of course… but I don't know WHY they're your favorites. They seem pretty random."

Opening his mouth to retort that this was certainly an underhanded way to go about things, Shikamaru found himself being hailed.

"Oi, Shikamaru!"

"Lee," Shikamaru replied, thankful to see a familiar face.

Lee walked up to them, nodding politely. "Temari-san," he said, giving her a more formal greeting, "ohayo."

"Ohayo," Temari returned cautiously.

_This is the guy that almost beat Gaara,_ she thought, _I don't know why, but even though Naruto actually DID beat him, I just can't take him seriously… he's just too much of a goofball! But this kid…_

Her thought trailed off as Lee turned to Shikamaru. "I was just on my way to see how Sakura-san is doing."

Shikamaru nodded, sighing wearily. "I haven't… talked to her much since we got back," he admitted. "How is she taking this business with Sasuke?"

"Bad," Lee said reluctantly, "she doesn't say much… but I think she's getting better. Naruto's the only one she really talks to, but I made a promise to always be there for her, so…"

Nodding, Shikamaru said, "I understand. Maybe I'll drop by later and see how she's doing."

Lee gave him a bow. "Understood."

They started to go their separate ways, but as they reached the corner, Lee called out to them once more.

"Oi, Temari-san!"

"Hmm?"

"Your brother is over there," Lee said – as if this should be no real cause for alarm, "I think he was looking for you."

Shikamaru felt the girl at his side suddenly tense, and sure enough, as he glanced back the way they were heading, he found himself less than five feet from the fearsome Sand nin. _That guy gives me the creeps,_ he thought, glancing at Temari, _her too, it looks like._

"G-Gaara," Temari stammered, unable to hide her fear.

Gaara turned his eerie, pale blue eyes on his sister, inclining his head in a barely perceptible nod before turning back to what he was doing.

Shooting a quick glance at Shikamaru, Temari stepped forward, nervously approaching her youngest brother and stopping at his side to follow his line of sight. "What are you doing?" she asked – still cautious in spite of the young man's repeated assurances that he meant her no harm.

It was, after all, remarkably hard to just forget that a person used to kill out of nothing more than simple boredom or irritation.

"These children," Gaara said, tilting his chin towards a small knot of laughing boys and girls – not a one of them a day over five years old. "None of them know who I am."

"Er, no," Temari admitted, confused by this unusual statement. "I'll bet a couple of them have heard stories, though."

This thought seemed to bother Gaara, as his lips twitched down ever so slightly.

Quickly backpedaling, Temari quickly added, "But you're probably right – and even if they knew about you, they wouldn't know what you look like."

Gaara nodded slightly. "In our village," he mused, "everyone knows me."

_And fears you,_ Temari added mentally, looking at Shikamaru, who simply shrugged and looked away.

"Shikamaru-kun," she said tentatively, waving the chuunin over, "do you… know any of these children?"

Shikamaru briefly surveyed the assembled horde of youths. "All of them," he said easily, "why, you want an introduction?"

"Actually… yeah."

Both Gaara and Shikamaru stared at her in disbelief.

"Please," Temari said seriously, averting her eyes as she added, "I'll… take a day off of the time you have to spend with me if you'll do this for me."

Shikamaru shrugged once more. "I would have done it anyway," he said coolly, "but you've got a deal."

As he moved off towards the group, Gaara murmured, "Time he has to spend with you?"

Temari nodded, keeping her eyes respectfully averted. "I'll explain later, Gaara," she said quietly.

"You… could call me Brother sometimes," Gaara said after a moment's hesitation. "If you wanted to."

Had she been anything short of a combat-hardened ninja warrior, Temari probably would have fallen over dead from the shock of this comment. As it was, she kept her expression light and inviting. "Mm," she hummed, nodding for emphasis, "and you can call me Sister… if you want to."

Silence – not quite comfortable, but no longer entirely tense – fell between the siblings as Shikamaru headed back towards them, trailed by five of the children. "Taki," he said, pointing to the oldest one, "Reina, Shugo, Kirika, Toyo… this is Gaara and Temari of the Sand."

"Aww cool!" the boy identified as Toyo exclaimed, "Sand nins!!"

In the blink of an eye, the youngsters had surrounded the foreign shinobi, questions bubbling up in a torrent as they unabashedly grilled them.

"Is it true that there's no water in the Village of the Sand?"

"Why is that gourd so big? Are you gonna eat it?"

"Why do you have a tattoo that says LOVE on your face??"

"Can you show us any cool Sand jutsu? Pleeease?"

Gaara simply stared, open-mouthed as the children swarmed around him, several grains of sand swirling unseen at his feet, as if preparing to leap between him and his small assailants.

"Gaara," Temari murmured, gesturing him closer, "why don't you…"

Shikamaru strained his ears, but could not hear what the genin was saying… though whatever it was, it must have taken Gaara off-guard as well, as he pulled back rather sharply, staring at her with a mixture of uncertainty and doubt. Receiving a small nod of confirmation, Gaara reached back over his shoulder and began pulling the stopper from his gourd.

"Oi," Shikamaru said quickly, rising to the balls of his feet and reaching for one of his kunai, "What do you think you're-"

"Shh…" Temari whispered, gently covering his hand and easing the small throwing dagger back into its sheath. "Trust me, ok?"

Uncertainly, Shikamaru allowed her to hold him in place. _Not that I could really stop her,_ he thought ironically, _or him, if he was really serious… but if he tries to hurt anyone, I won't…_

His thought trailed off as a soft sigh of delight rose up from the children. "Wow…" the girl named Reina breathed, "can I… touch it?"

Gaara shook his head, concentrating on keeping the small castle of sand floating between his palms. "No," he said quietly, "the sand… likes me, but it's kind of…"

"Protective," Temari supplied as he trailed off, her voice equal parts relief and admiration, "it's Gaara's secret jutsu, kids… don't tell anyone about it, ok?"

Mute with wonder, the children simply nodded.

"Hey!" Shugo said suddenly, making nearly everyone jump. "Can you do a dog?!"

"Oo, oo!" Kirika bounced up and down. "A kitty! Can you make your sand into a kitty??"

"I wanna see a dragon!" Taki said boldly. "Can you do that, mister?"

Gaara looked almost hopelessly to Temari for guidance. _I think this is the first time he's ever done that,_ she thought, amazed as she gave him an encouraging nod, _he still scares the hell out of me… but he HAS gotten gentler since the time we fought the Leaf nins._ She sighed. _Of course… when we go anywhere, he still walks alone…_

"Awesome!!"

Shikamaru found the children's collective assessment pretty accurate, staring with barely concealed admiration as Gaara's castle exploded into a billion grains of sand, whirling around like a miniature tornado before settling back into his palm in the shape of a mighty, sand-fire spewing dragon.

_Power is power,_ he thought suddenly, remembering one of the earliest ninja trainings at the academy. _It doesn't distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, or light and dark – it simply IS. All of these other extremities are determined by HOW the power is used._

Belatedly, he noticed that Temari's hand was still on his, though she seemed to have forgotten it entirely as she watched Gaara creating sand shapes in his hands, a soft, open smile curving her lips up in a clear sign of affection.

Sudden awkwardness filled him, however, as Gaara caught Temari's eyes. _Is he smiling?_ Shikamaru thought incredulously. _No… no way – not that guy!_

But there was definitely gratitude in that look, and maybe a hint of sadness as well, he could not quite tell.

"Come on," Temari whispered, pulling gently on his hand, "I just lost a day with you, and I don't want to waste any m-"

"No you didn't," Shikamaru cut in smoothly, allowing her to lead him away as the children were called back by their parents – some of them a bit more forcefully than the others. "I won't… I won't count that."

For the first time that he could remember, Temari blushed. "Th-thanks," she mumbled uncertainly, frowning slightly as he gently pulled his hand away from hers.

Shikamaru nodded absently, glancing back at where Gaara was placing the stopper back in his gourd. _All that power,_ he thought wonderingly, sticking his hands in his pockets and letting his arms rest easily at his sides, _and the only ones afraid of him are the parents. So are they the smart ones… or are the kids?_

When Temari hesitantly put her hand on his forearm, Shikamaru made no attempt to shake it free.

_Better than nothing, I guess,_ Temari thought, disappointed that she had not managed to get him to hold her hand, _minor victories are better than no victories._

With her step slightly lighter than it had been, she followed the young chuunin on the tour of Leaf Village.

Continued…

Author's Notes: before anyone asks, no, I did not forget that Gaara's sand smells like blood, I just didn't want the story to be that dark, and I figured the kids wouldn't notice anyway, since they were so dazzled by his mad sand-slingin' skillz. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Six String Samurai took a look at this chapter and proclaimed it sappy. Thanks man, thanks for pointing out the obvious.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


	5. Hear me Roar

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 5

Hear Me Roar

By Random1377

It was surprisingly fulfilling, Temari found, to have her hand resting on Shikamaru's arm. She was not starry-eyed and dreamy, but she had to admit there was a certain satisfaction in the simple physical contact – and the looks of surprise that they received were definitely amusing, especially when they met Ino.

The blonde happened to be passing by one of the shops in the village, going the opposite direction, and nodded briefly to Shikamaru, her mind clearly on other things… but she came up short three paces past the two, her face registering surprise as she turned to glance back over her shoulder.

"Oi," she said slowly, "Shikamaru…"

_Yare, Yare, _Shikamaru thought tiredly, turning to face the girl. _What a hassle._

"Ohayo, Ino-chan."

Ino frowned, studying the two over her shoulder for a long moment before turning around to face them. "O-hay-o," she said, slowly walking up to them and glancing pointedly at where Temari's hand lay on Shikamaru's arm.

"Is there a problem?" Temari asked coolly, arching an eyebrow as the younger girl edged closer.

Shikamaru tensed as Ino slowly raised her right hand, thrusting it out in front of her with her fist tightly clenched. _Is she challenging her?_ he thought incredulously, _Temari would destroy her! Man, what a pain… why am I always getting caught in the mid-_

His jaw dropped open as Ino's thumb suddenly popped up, her face breaking into a huge grin as she gave Temari the universal 'nice job' sign. "I saw Hinata and TenTen," she said, ignoring Shikamaru's stunned expression, "so it's true – you're really dating him."

"We're not dating!!" Shikamaru exploded, "Who said-"

"Well, I'm trying," Temari cut in smoothly, dropping Ino a sly wink, "he's kind of hard to talk to, but I'm trying. Have to say I'm a little surprised that you approve, though… we used to be enemies."

Ino waved a hand. "In the past, in the past," she said dismissively, "I would have done the same if I was ordered to. I think TenTen's the only one that really doesn't like you."

"Yeah," Temari said blandly, "I kind of figured that one out. Might make it difficult if I decide to move here, but I'll deal with it, if that happens."

Shikamaru briefly considered trying to slip away, but he realized it would be a futile effort. _Not like I have anywhere to run,_ he thought dismally, _plus, at this rate, she'll have Kiba right on my heels, telling me how I should give her a chance. This sucks… everyone's against me! And her – LIVING here?? …she promised she'd leave after six days! She's not going back on that is she?_

Suddenly, Ino leaned forward, cupping her hand around her mouth and whispering something in Temari's ear.

"Oh, I've already done that," the Sand nin laughed.

"You have?" Ino exclaimed, looking impressed as she shot Shikamaru a doubtful glance. "Really??"

Temari smiled so broadly that her eyes closed, her teeth flashing white as she held her fingers up in a V of triumph. "Twice!"

His face darkening as he realized what they were talking about, Shikamaru started to walk away.

"I guess we're leaving," Temari laughed, giving Ino a quick salute. "Ja ne."

Ino returned the salute, adding a quick bow as she called, "Ganbatte!!"

As she caught up to him, Shikamaru grumbled, "What is it about you? I've lived here my whole life – but everyone we meet thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread!"

"Don't be mad about it," Temari said lightly, "people just… want to see you happy, Shikamaru – so they like me because they can see that I want to be with you, and that I've got the tenacity to make US work."

"You're so humble," Shikamaru mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"I am," Temari said levelly, stepping in front of him to keep him from walking away. "Look," she elaborated, holding one hand out in front of her, "I know all these girls – women too – who have no self-worth. They go through life with their heads down, seeing nothing but the ground in front of them as they try their hardest not to be seen." She held out her other hand. "And then over here you have these women that are so full of themselves that they look at everyone around them as if they are beneath them – not even worth looking down their noses at when they march past." Slowly, she brought her hands together, her tone entirely serious as she concluded, "I refuse to be either. My eyes stay on what matters to me, not up, not down – straight ahead."

Shikamaru found that he was staring at the young woman with unconcealed wonder, and forced himself to look away.

Temari, stepped back into his line of sight, her eyes unsmiling as she whispered, "There is no shame in knowing ones own worth, Shikamaru-kun. I know I'm not a goddess, but I know I'm not worthless… and I know if you give me a chance, we'd work out pretty well together. Face it, Shikamaru-kun – we fit."

"Mm," Shikamaru hummed noncommittally, refusing to make eye-contact.

With a sigh, Temari stepped aside, laying her hand carefully on his arm as they continued walking. A slightly uncomfortable silence fell as they made their way through the village, stopping from time to time to glance in a window or talk briefly with a passing acquaintance of Shikamaru's – all of whom arched their eyebrows in nearly identical expressions of incredulity at the casually intimate closeness between the Sand nin and the young chuunin.

As they reached his house, Shikamaru cleared his throat. "There's… probably enough food for you to stay for dinner," he said awkwardly, scratching the side of his nose. "If you wanted to, I mean."

"Are you just being polite to a visitor from another village?" Temari wondered, eying him shrewdly, "Or are you actually inviting me?"

Before he could reply, a voice from the shadows murmured, "If he's not, I am."

Shikamaru's only comfort at being caught completely off guard was the fact that Temari was as well, her hands flashing to her belt pouch for some weapon or other before relaxing as one of the shadows detached itself from the darkness and stepped out into the light.

"Well?" the figure said smoothly, "Are you going to introduce us, or just stand there and gawk?"

Shrugging as if it made no difference to him either way, Shikamaru said, "Father, this is Temari of the Sand… Temari, this is my dad."

Temari relaxed, easing her hands away from her weapons and offering the man a deep bow. "My pleasure," she said guardedly, unsure of how to reply to the cool, assessing gaze directed her way.

Shikamaru's father grinned faintly. "Boy, she's polite," he said easily. "The pleasure is mine, Temari-chan. Now as I was saying – you are more than welcome to join us, if you would like."

Nodding, Temari replied, "I would love to."

_Chan?_ she thought, frowning as Shikamaru shot his father an exasperated look, _How long since anyone's called me chan?? It's always san… hell; someone called me kun once, but chan? Chan is cute. Chan is fluffy. …I'm not a chan._

"Kyaa – you're still here!"

Temari blinked as Shikamaru's mother appeared – seemingly from nowhere and smiled down at her. _This family has serious stealth skills,_ she thought, unconsciously returning the older woman's conspiratorial grin, _and here… is my lone ally._

Shikamaru's mother glanced at her son. "It's nice to see that Shiki-kun hasn't driven you away yet," she said warmly, gesturing to her house. "Come in, please."

Bowing, Temari waited until Shikamaru's parents preceded them into the house, then gave the chuunin a sideways glance. "Shiki-kun?" she said amusedly, arching an eyebrow as he ground his teeth. "That's… cute – but I don't think it suits you."

"No," Shikamaru agreed quickly, "it doesn't."

"I think Shiki-sama fits better."

Temari raised her hands as his brow drew down in anger.

"Kidding!" she laughed, "Just kidding!" She smiled, winking as she started into the house as she murmured, "Of course, a wife has the right to call her husband sama if-"

She came up short as Shikamaru's hand shot out, seizing her by the wrist and spinning her back around. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded quietly. "Do you really think those little comments about marriage and moving to my village are going to get me to like you?"

Though he had expected her to be defiant, Temari looked abashed. "I… sorry," she said awkwardly, "I'm not really good at this, you know."

"Good at what, driving me crazy?" Shikamaru grumbled. "Because let me tell you, you're not TOO bad!"

Temari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No," she said calmly, "I mean I'm not too good at liking people, ok? I was raised as a shinobi… I have one brother that's sarcastic and pompous, and one that's so terrifying grown men refuse to SLEEP when he's in the village. I don't have a lot of experience with letting my feelings show, Shikamaru… cut me some goddamn slack!" She willed her jaw to unclench, meeting his eyes steadily as she concluded, "I crack jokes to make people nervous… like me, ok? Do you get it now? I want you to like me, and it's ANNOYING that you won't even look at me, so I feel like I have to-"

"I get it," Shikamaru cut in softly. "I didn't mean to make you mad."

Taking another breath, Temari realized that her whole body was tensed, ready to lash out at a moment's notice, and she forced herself to relax. "Let's eat," she said abruptly, turning towards his house. "I'll go home after dinner…"

As she was reaching towards the door, Shikamaru murmured, "We're not that different."

Temari nodded into the uncomfortable silence. _I kind of figured that,_ she thought, waiting for him to say more, _I joke and act tough… you pretend you don't care about anything._

When Shikamaru said nothing further, Temari glanced over her shoulder and gave him a small smile. "Come on," she said, reaching out with one hand, "your parents are going to think we're making out, or something."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes… but he did take her outstretched hand, allowing her to lead him into his own house as if he was the visitor and she, the native. _Her hands are rough,_ he noticed suddenly, focusing on the texture of the genin's palm, _I wonder how many people she's had to kill…?_

Pushing the dark thoughts from his head, Shikamaru determined that he would do his best to pay more attention to the young woman. He had promised her six days worth of consideration, and though he had honestly planned to just ignore her as much as possible, he now felt that he owed it to her to at least ATTEMPT to get to know her. True, he normally stayed away from brash, commanding women, but if she was putting forth this much effort – acknowledging that after her time was up, she would leave him alone – he thought he could at least spare her some of his attention.

_Can't go back on my word,_ he thought grudgingly, _like Naruto always says 'that's my ninja way.'_

To be continued… __

Author's notes: man, from 23 reviews on chapter one to 7 on chapter four. …definitely not a good trend. Oh well. Guess I overestimated the popularity of this idea, huh? Eh, hopefully the handful of readers left out there are enjoying this. Excuse me while I pout. No, don't try to make me feel better… probably be dead in a week anyway…

Six String Samurai gave this chapter the once-over and stamped it for approval. And by stamped, I mean he literally printed it out, put it on the floor, and stamped on it with a steel-toed boot. Dude… a simple, 'could use some work' would've been just fine.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


	6. Blurry

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 6

Blurry

By Random1377

Shikamaru was pretty sure that he had found a secret, personal gate to Hell, flinging it open inadvertently and stepping through without so much as a second thought and hurtling headlong in oblivion – the sounds of his parents' and Temari's laughter echoing all around him as he fell to his doom.

"Wow," Temari said with a shark like grin, "nice butt."

It was the pictures, of course.

Every teenager's worst nightmare… the baby pictures. Some stupid, some funny, some wistful… most of them, naked.

"He was such a willful baby," Shikamaru's mother said, ignoring her son's groan of anguish, "see? Here's another one… he just would NOT keep his pants on."

"Mom, please!" Shikamaru pleaded, "Do we have to do this? Isn't this like, child pornography or something??"

His mother gave him an indulgent smile, but refused to reply. "Oh look!" she said, giggling like a school girl as she pointed to a picture in the album, "doesn't he have the cutest little-"

Snap – the covers of the album flew closed, Shikamaru's hands holding tight to the front and the back as he slipped it deftly out of his mother's grasp. "Isn't it time for dinner…?" he grated, trying desperately to maintain his calm façade as Temari covered her mouth with one hand.

"Hmm," his mother hummed, unconcerned by the loss of the album, "perhaps you're right. Temari? Would you like to join me?"

Temari's smile vanished. "Umm, I'm not… really good at-"

"Nonsense," Shikamaru's mother interrupted, "what you don't know, you can learn. Come with me."

Like a lamb to the slaughter, Temari was led into the kitchen, casting a helpless look back at Shikamaru, but finding him unsympathetic as he mouthed, 'Your turn.'

"Dad," the chuunin called quietly, shelving the photo album and heading into the dinning room, "you can come out now."

The door to his parents' room, closed since they had gotten in the house, creaked open, and his father emerged, yawning expansively

"Stop," Shikamaru muttered. "They're both in the kitchen, you don't have to pretend."

His father laughed. "Sorry I threw you to the wolves," he chuckled, taking the seat opposite his son, "but I just couldn't watch you suffer like that."

"So you fake a headache and go lie down?" Shikamaru said, shaking his head in wonder. "Some father!"

The older man grinned faintly. "Divide and conquer," he said diplomatically, "sacrifice one to save the many."

"Sacrifice me to save yourself, you mean."

His father's smile widened. "Tomato," he said, holding out one hand, "Tomatoe."

Heaving a sigh, Shikamaru rose to his feet and began setting the table for dinner, explaining, "Might as well do it before she-"

"Shiki-kun? Can you set the table?"

"Yes, mother," Shikamaru replied, exchanging a look with his father that said, 'See?'

Once the places were set, he sat back down, fiddling idly with his fork for a moment as they waited for the meal to be prepared.

"So," his father said calmly, "I like her."

Shikamaru nodded. He knew this was coming… if his mother was on board, his father would be too. _She probably talked to him about it yesterday after she left,_ he thought darkly, _Truly, the man has no backbone when it comes to her._

As if to contradict this idea, his father said, "I didn't think I would."

"Hmm? Why not?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Because your mother was so impressed by her," is father said coolly. "Your mother usually has excellent judgment when it comes to raising children, and her battle tactics are second to none… but she's an awful judge of character – just awful. So when she said your young friend from the Hidden Sand was smart, charming, and clever, I pictured her to be dumb, tactless, and dull."

Shikamaru did not quite know what to say. _Has he ever talked about Mom that way??_ he thought, amazed by his father's candidness. _Well, never in FRONT of her, but even to me? Granted, we've never really had a reason to talk like this… but still…_

He frowned as he realized that most of his conversations with his father tended to be superficial, and decided to make a conscious effort to actually start communicating.

"So," his father said after a short pause, "tell me… do you like her?"

"Eh, she's ok," Shikamaru said reluctantly. "She's just…"

"Just what?" his father prompted as the young man trailed off.

"She's not what I want," Shimamaru said flatly, "I want a soft, obedient woman – someone who wears, like, a kimono – she's too-"

"Shh!" his father hissed, glancing around quickly, "don't let your mother hear you say that…"

Shikamaru barely managed to bite his tongue, keeping the words, 'See, I don't want to end up like YOU' in his mouth before they could spill out. It was unfair, and he knew it… his parents were among the most stable in the Hidden Leaf. Sure, they had their fair share of fights, but anyone that spent more than two minutes with them could see the love there.

"Listen, son," Shikamaru's father said easily, "women are… complicated."

"You can say that again."

"No, hear me out. Your mother is a… powerful woman, most of the time – but she's fragile as well."

Shikamaru looked dubious, but he held his tongue as his father continued.

"The trick," the older man was saying, "is to blur the lines between strength and weakness. It's ok to be weak sometimes, Shikamaru… as long as you have someone that can take up the slack and be strong for you. Then you can be strong for her when she's weak." He shrugged, his voice deceptively light as he shot a significant glance towards the kitchen. "No one can be strong all the time – no one."

"That's the real reason you married Mom," Shikamaru mumbled astutely, uncomfortable with the weight of the conversation, "you're just lazy and you wanted her to do all the work."

His father dropped him a conspiratorial wink. "They always said you were a smart one," he said dryly, "but in all seriousness… think about what I've said. I may come off as a little bit lazy and unmotivated, but I still have a few years' more experience than you – and you'd be AMAZED what people are willing to talk about if they think you're napping."

Shikamaru chuckled, giving his father a considering look. _I should be more careful around him,_ he thought sagely, _he's like the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing._

Though he hated to admit it – for a number of reasons – Shikamaru found his esteem for his father raising a notch or two. Several minutes later, his mother and Temari reappeared, each carrying a large plate of food. Temari, Shikamaru noticed, had a large streak of flour across her right cheek, and a decidedly sour expression on her face.

_Guess the kitchen isn't a place she'll be spending a lot of time,_ he thought wryly as the two women joined them at the table. _Just one more reason she's not for me. I'm definitely marrying someone who can cook._

"Idtadakimasu!"

Conversation, thankfully, stayed off the topics of naked baby pictures and dating, the two sorest spots in Shikamaru's mind. The four of them discussed odd topics like how the new Hokage was doing, when they might be called for missions, what Temari did for fun back in her home village – essentially light, easy flowing, no pressure discussions.

Just the way Shikamaru liked it.

After dinner was over, his mother stood up and announced, "Your father and I are going out for a while. We'll be back before ten."

"Alright," Shikamaru said, "I'll take Temari ho-"

"No, no," his mother cut in quickly, "she can stay if she'd like, that's fine. I trust that you two won't do anything… inappropriate."

"Of course," Temari said smoothly, "You have my word."

_Great…_

His parents left the house with suspicious speed, leaving Shikamaru alone with Temari in uncomfortable silence. "So," he said slowly, "now that their gone… do you want me to walk you home?"

Temari grinned. "Nah, not yet," she said deviously, "let's do something – watch a movie or play a game or something like that. I wasn't expecting to have you all to myself."

"Me either," Shikamaru admitted, sounding far less enthusiastic.

"Hey!" Temari growled, "I'm not a leper, you know!"

The chuunin raised his hands. "Sorry," he muttered, averting his eyes from her scowl. "Hmm, ok, a game – hey, do you play chess?"

Temari nodded. "Uh huh," she replied, "but I'm not that great."

Shikamaru waved one hand. "Don't worry about it," he said lightly, "you wouldn't win anyway – there's no one in town that can beat me."

"Well aren't you modest?" Temari snorted, shaking her head.

"I just know my own worth," the young man replied dryly. "Come on."

Temari she followed him into the living room, sitting on the couch as Shikamaru dropped into a chair opposite her and pulled out a well-worn, wooden chess set. He set up the pieces without saying a word, preferring the silence to any topic of conversation the girl was likely to come up with, and took the white and black queens in his hands, putting them behind his back and shuffling them before offering her his closed fists.

"White," Temari said happily, after a quick tap on his fist revealed the white queen. "I get to go first – a coup before the war has even begun."

"Very funny," Shikamaru said, setting the pieces on the board. "Go ahead." For several minutes, the only sound in the small house was the click and hiss of felt-bottomed chess pieces moving across the board. After several failed attempts at a quick kill, Shikamaru was forced to admit, "You're pretty good."

"Thanks," Temari said, giving him a small smile, "but nowhere as good as my father. My sensei – the one who taught me how to play – said my father was unstoppable in a chess game. Of course, since he's…"

She trailed off, her smile fading as her hand hovered over the board.

"Sorry," Shikamaru said quietly.

Temari rested her chin in her palm, her eyes bright and observant as she surveyed the chess board. "Well, I never really knew him that well," she murmured, laying a tentative hand on a pawn before slowly pulling back. "I mean, he WAS my father and everything, but he was usually so busy being Kazekage that I never saw him. We were all raised by a series of nannies and housekeepers – and we were kept separate from Gaara for most of our lives." Settling on a bishop, she concluded, "It's no wonder he wound up like he did…"

Shikamaru considered this in silence for a moment, trying to imagine feeling bad for the seemingly unstoppable Gaara of the Sand. _Naruto__ said the guy's got a demon living in him,_ he reminded himself, _man, even if your parents were never around, that alone would be enough to mess you up pretty bad._

"That's why I'm jealous of you," Temari whispered, leaning back from the board and averting her eyes as Shikamaru looked up at her. "You've always had your family around you. You know about my father already, and my mother died when Gaara was born… all I've ever had was Kankuro, really."

"And everyone knows he's a charmer," Shikamaru said lightly, edging a pawn forward and pressuring Temari's knight.

Temari laughed softly. "He's not that bad," she said, moving her knight out of the way, "just a little spoiled, I guess. We always got pretty much everything we wanted when we were growing up."

Shrugging, Shikamaru reached out slide his bishop down the board, smiling faintly as it bumped into her queen. "Must have been hard to take when you got out in the real world and realized you don't always get what you wa-"

He was cut off as Temari laid her hand over his, leaning forward until she was inches from his face and whispering, "I still get what I set out to get, Shikamaru-kun… I may have to earn it now that I'm on my own, but I refuse to give up on the things I truly want." Holding his eyes with her own, she guided his hand to her king, gently tipping it over and allowing it to roll off the board.

"…mate."

Shikamaru swallowed hard as the Sand nin rose to her feet and stretched languidly.

"Thank you for dinner," she called out, grinning at the soft curse that came from the kitchen, "it was great."

After a moment of quiet, Shikamaru's mother came out of the kitchen, looking for all the world as if she had just gotten home. "Oh, you're still here," she said with a forced laugh, "please – come back tomorrow. It was so nice to have another woman to help in the kitchen."

Though Shikamaru was sure he saw Temari flinch at the thought of having to help cook again, she still nodded, flashing him a small, almost apologetic smile. "I'd like that," she said, her tone surprisingly honest as she gave Shikamaru's mother a polite bow. "See you tomorrow."

As she made her way out of the house, escorted by Shikamaru's father (who also tried to pretend that he was just coming back in, rather than eavesdropping), his mother turned to face him, looking him up and down and waiting until the Sand nin had exited before speaking.

"All I'm going to say," she said coolly, speaking before the young man could cut in, "is that you could do way worse."

Knowing it was pointless to argue – and secretly grateful that his mother was not planning his wedding – Shikamaru simply nodded. "Yeah, I know… but she's-"

"Uh uh," his mother said sharply, "I've said what I wanted to say. I don't want to waste time telling you that she's a good woman – I think you know it already. And besides…"

"Besides what?" Shikamaru prompted.

His mother shrugged, looking mildly offended. "She asked me not to pressure you."

"Huh??"

"When we were making dinner," his mother clarified softly, "she said, 'please don't try to talk him into dating me. If he wants to, he will, but if I found out later that someone else forced him into it, I wouldn't be happy.'" Turning away, she added, "If I thought I could talk you into it, I might try anyway… but you're stubborn – you've never really known what's best for you – so I know it would all go in one ear and out the other."

Shikamaru sighed gustily. "And you think SHE'S best for me?" he muttered, amazed that his mother could be taken in so easily.

"No," his mother said, her voice entirely serious, "I think she may be GOOD for you. In the end, Shikamaru, you have to be the one to decide what makes you happy… but after talking to her, I think you have a lot more in common with that girl than you think, and if you gave her a chance, you might actually find that she's worth the time."

Without another word, she strode out of the room, leaving Shikamaru to his thoughts.

- - - - -

Temari made good on her promise to come over for dinner the next two nights, though like the days that preceded them, they were not anywhere near as eventful as that first day and night. They spent most of their time walking around town and talking to people, finding that there really wasn't too much else for them to do, since there were no pressing engagements for either of them. They visited Shikamaru's ill-fated team in the hospital several times, drawing mixed reactions to their six-day arrangement, and each evening they ate dinner at Shikamaru's house and played a short game of chess, with Temari coming up the loser in each game, but taking the defeats in stride, reasoning that the chuunin WAS a tactical genius, after all.

On the fourth day, Shikamaru found that he was not dreading his meeting with Temari QUITE as much, rising on time and making it to their agreed-on meeting place with four minutes to spare – a record for the Lazy Nin of Hidden Leaf Village.

_Gotta__ shake that title,_ he thought grimly, leaning up against the ramen stand where they had first met Ino on the first day. _Not that I care all that much, but it's getting annoying – especially now that Naruto's decided to call me LN. That guy… man, you'd think after what happened with Sasuke, he'd be all down, but he's already starting to get back into his old ways. You have to admire him, I guess. If anything had happened to Chouji, I know I would have been-_

"Wow… look at her!"

Glancing up, Shikamaru frowned, trying to figure out what all the commotion was. "Can't… see…" he muttered, craning his head to try to gaze past a knot of staring teenagers. Abruptly, the crowd parted, allowing him an unobstructed view… and causing his jaw to drop wide open.

Mentally, he agreed with the person who had first brought his attention to what was going on.

_Wow…_

"Ohayo, Shikamaru-sama."

Continued…

Author's Notes: everyone loves a cliffhanger, right? RIGHT?? Relax… I won't leave you hanging long. Actually – I've already got part 7 almost ninety-nine percent finished. Just need to double-check a few facts, have it reviewed, and Bob's yer uncle. Look for it in a couple days. Not like you can't guess what he's looking at or anything, but damn it, you're gonna have to!

Six String Samurai looked at this chapter before its release and said that when you get right down to it, he's not too choosey when it comes to women. Weak, strong, underage, comatose – it's all the same to him. Hehe

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com


	7. Sakura’s Take on Philosophy

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 7

Sakura's Take on Philosophy

By Random1377

"Ohayo, Shikamaru-sama."

Shikamaru was so taken aback – so absolutely stunned – by what he was seeing, that he could barely stammer, "O-Ohay… o…"

Temari stood calmly before him, her head bowed demurely low as passersby stopped to gawk… and Shikamaru could not blame them – after all, it was not often that you saw a woman in a full kimono in the heart of an all-shinobi village, let alone a woman that is known throughout the region as a proud, fearsome warrior.

It was very jarring.

"Why are you wearing that?" Shikamaru blurted, scratching the back of his neck as more people stopped to stare.

Temari seemed unconcerned by all of the eyes on her. "Have you forgotten, Shikamaru-sama?" she murmured, "three days have passed."

"Stop with the sama," the chuunin growled, grabbing her by the elbow and hurrying her off the streets and into a nearby café. "Now… what are you doing??"

"It's been three days," Temari said simply. "I said that if you didn't like me after three days, I would change. Remember?"

Shikamaru looked blank for a moment. "Oh, right," he said, relaxing slightly as he remembered the 'rules' the Sand nin had imposed on her time with him. Looking her up and down he said, "It umm… it suits you."

It did not, really. He readily admitted that the white, silken fabric offset her healthy, peach-hued skin – and the crimson and midnight flowers stitched into it definitely brought out the intense steel blue of her eyes… but it was all so at odds with his mental image of her that it was impossible to get around. She had definitely changed, of that there could be no doubt, but the change was so drastic that it was almost upsetting.

Taking a breath to get a grip, Shikamaru led her out of the café.

"So what's the plan for today?" he asked dryly, trying to goad a reaction from her, "knitting? Baking cookies? If you're going to be this kind of woman, just playing dress-up isn't going to do it."

Unfazed by his sarcasm, Temari murmured, "If that's what you want me to do today, I'll try it… but I'm not too good at those kinds of things."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Of course you're not," he said chidingly, "you're a warrior, right?"

"I'm whatever you want me to be for the next three days," Temari said quietly. "Test me any way you want, Shikamaru-sama – I don't go back on my word."

At a loss for words, Shikamaru simply whispered, "Right."

_She can't keep this up,_ he thought confidently, shooting the girl a sideways glance; _I give it two hours – tops! She's not patient enough._

Coming round a corner, however, they ran into TenTen… and things got very bad, very quickly.

"Ohayo, TenTen-san."

TenTen froze, her eyes flashing with hostility and fear as the Sand nin greeted her. "O… ohayo," she said slowly, her hands once more gravitating towards her throwing stars. "What's going on with that get-up? You look like an idiot."

_Oh, here it comes,_ Shikamaru thought, mentally cringing as he prepared for the Sand nin to explode.

Instead of an explosion, however, Temari simply bowed. "I'm sorry you don't like it."

There was a moment of heavy, stunned silence, wherein TenTen and Shikamaru reached the same conclusion about Temari's dedication to her current, pacifistic attitude. Their reactions, needless to say were quite different.

Shikamaru stepped forward and to the side, positioning Temari slightly behind him as a dark, vindictive smile twisted the corners of TenTen's lips. "I heard you were going to do this," she said, her voice taking on a dangerous chill. "I never expected you to go through with it. So tell me… when I knock you down, are you going to cry or just lie there and wait for me to kick you?"

Glancing at Shikamaru, Temari whispered, "It depends on how it feels. Weak women allow themselves to work on pure emotion… so I won't know until I experience it and let my feelings out."

TenTen cracked her knuckles loudly. "Get ready to learn, then," she said, her voice silky and low. "I've been storing this up for three months…"

For a moment, Shikamaru almost did not move – his surprise at seeing the younger woman so full of rage taking him so off guard that his muscles nearly missed his mental command to intervene.

"Oi," he said quietly, moving fully in front of Temari as TenTen's right hand clenched into a fist. "OI! Get a grip."

Blinking as if she had just noticed he was there, TenTen looked up into Shikamaru's face. "What?" she complained. "She has this coming! Goddamned superior BITCH! Don't try to stop me, Shikamaru-kun, or I'll-"

"TenTen," Shikamaru cut in softly, sticking his hands in his pockets and shaking his head. "You're not… really going to disgrace your sensei, are you?"

TenTen frowned. "Disgrace my sensei?" she asked warily. "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru scratched his nose with carefully practiced indifference. "Well," he said slowly, "I'm not really opposed to you taking a free shot. God knows she deserves it for the way she treated you during the Chuunin tests… but I'm pretty sure it's still against our teachings to attack an unarmed opponent, isn't it? I'm sure Gai Sensei would be embarrassed to find out that you struck someone with no defenses – out of nothing more than old spite. Vengeance has never been part of our code of conduct… or did I sleep through that lesson?"

Her determination faltering, TenTen mumbled, "She's not unarmed… she's got a kunai somewhere under that stupid kimono…"

Looking back over his shoulder, Shikamaru said, "I don't even think she's wearing underwear." He nodded to the Sand nin. "Temari – are you armed?"

"No, Shikamaru-sama," Temari replied softly. "I'm not a warrior today."

Trying not to roll his eyes in disgust, Shikamaru turned back to TenTen. "I know you're still mad about what happened," he said reasonably, "but hitting her now won't accomplish anything – and you know it."

Reluctantly, TenTen uncurled her fist. "S-sorry, Shikamaru-kun," she said awkwardly, the passion of rage quickly draining out of her small frame.

"Forget about it," Shikamaru said easily, "just…wait until it's an even fight, ok? Or challenge her to a duel, or something."

"I will," TenTen said, her eyes shooting to Temari's. "And it won't be like the last time we fought – believe that!"

Giving Shikamaru a bow, she turned on her heel and strode off into the crowd.

_Yare, yare,_ Shikamaru thought dismally, _I'm going to have to watch her all day – just to make sure she doesn't get jumped by anyone that has a grudge with her. What a hassle._

Fortunately for him, the rest of the day slid by without any major conflicts… though he did find out – rather quickly – that no one in the village liked Temari in her current incarnation. Everyone they bumped into looked horrified at the Sand nin's complacent attitude and downcast eyes, turning to Shikamaru for an explanation as if HE was the one that had started it all.

The entire day was spent not fending off attacks from vengeful Leaf ninjas, still holding some bitterness towards Temari for her role in the invasion of the village during the chuunin trails, but in verbal tap-dancing and backpedaling as Shikamaru tried his best to avoid telling everyone that the proud Sand nin was acting this way because he had a tendency to favor quieter women.

By the time the sun fell behind the mountains, scattering a brilliant peppering of stars through the sky, Shikamaru was mentally wiped out. "Kyaa," he groaned, stretching expansively as he headed towards his house, "I don't know if I can do this for two more days… and I never thought so MANY people would care!"

It seemed to him that half of the village's population had stopped him to ask what was going on, finally prompting him to come up with the convenient semi-truth, 'She lost a bet.'

_Yeah, so the bet was with herself,_ he thought dismally, _still doesn't stop everyone from bothering ME about­­-_

"Shikamaru-sama?"

"Hmm?"

Turning around, the chuunin nearly cried out with shock, finding the Sand nin kneeling formally at his feet and bowing low in a sign of deference and respect.

"Thank you for taking the time to be with me today."

"O-oi," Shikamaru muttered, "get up! Someone might see you! You don't have to go THIS far."

"This is what you like, isn't it?" Temari countered softly, keeping her eyes on the ground. "A soft, obedient woman – just like you said at dinner."

Shikamaru pursed his lips. "So you heard that," he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't mean…" he trailed off as Temari simply continued staring at the ground. "Alright," he said wearily, "I get it, you've made your point… you can stop now, ok? You can just be yourself for the next two days, just… just get up…"

Temari stayed where she was, though she did raise her eyes. "I can't do that," she said quietly, "I promised I would be the kind of girl you like for three days. I can't go back on my word… it would dishonor my village."

"But I don't like it," Shikamaru blurted. "I don't want you to be something you're not – that's just stupid."

Averting her eyes, Temari replied, "But you don't like women like me. I'm willing to change."

Shikamaru ground his teeth. "That's not what I want!" he said, feeling trapped by his own words.

"Then, what DO you want… Shikamaru-sama?"

"Not you!"

Stricken silence dominated the scene as Shikamaru's mouth worked, struggling to form the words 'I'm sorry,' or, 'I didn't mean that' or anything else that could express his regret at his angry outburst… but no matter how he tried, nothing would come out. Finally, Temari nodded.

"I understand," she said, her voice surprisingly even as she rose to her feet and gave him a formal bow. "Goodnight, then."

"Wait!"

Shikamaru's cry came too late. Temari was already gone.

"Idiot," he groaned, slapping his forehead. _Now I have to go find her,_ he thought, realizing suddenly that he didn't have the faintest clue of where the Sand nins were staying. _Someone has to know… I'll just-_

"Wow," a voice behind him mused, "that was pretty harsh."

Glancing over his shoulder, he found Sakura sitting on a bench behind him, her eyes closed as a soft evening breeze ruffled her short, pink hair. _Since when am I so bad at hearing people sneaking up on me??_ he thought, still frustrated by his own stupidity. _She probably heard the whole thing, too. Great… here comes the lecture on how I should have been nicer._

To his surprise, however, Sakura simply sat still tilting her head to the side as if listening to a secret whispered, perhaps, by the quickening wind.

"Nice night, huh?" she said after a few moments, opening her eyes and looking up at the twinkling stars.

"Yeah, sure," Shikamaru mumbled, unsure of what to say.

Sakura lifted her chin, drawing his attention to a nearby elm tree. "Look at all the leaves," she said, her voice oddly subdued and quiet as she leaned back and rested her hands on her stomach. "Do you think they'll fall soon?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "It's spring," he said flatly, not at all in the mood for the girl's roundabout banter. "The leaves are strong right now."

Clearly pleased with the direction the conversation was going, Sakura smiled. "Strong is good," she said lightly, turning her eyes to him as she added, "but if a leaf is too strong, and holds too tightly to the branch, it will be left alone – never fulfilling its true purpose as it desperately clings to old ideals and hopeless dreams of longevity."

"You shouldn't try to spout philosophy," Shikamaru said dryly, "it doesn't work for you."

Sakura shrugged. "Alright," she said bluntly, "then I'll say it flat out – you're a moron. Everyone goes on and on about how brilliant you are on the battlefield, but you're a dimwit when it comes to dealing with people. No one in the village believes for one second that you don't care about that girl… it's obvious that you're fascinated by her. The only person you're fooling is you. Stop being stupid, for God's sake…THAT doesn't work for you."

Pursing his lips, Shikamaru eyed her. "And what would you recommend?" he asked coolly.

"That you stop being stupid," Sakura replied immediately. "Everyone knows you like her – just go down to the Sakuraba Inn and tell her already, and don't give me that line about not liking strong women… I've known you your whole life."

"You don't know me," Shikamaru snorted. "Stop sticking your nose into my business."

Sakura stretched, letting out a jaw cracking yawn. "Have it your way," she said dismissively, "but when you end up alone, don't try to pretend you don't know why."

Shikamaru felt his temper slipping. "I like being alone," he said defiantly, "I-"

"No you don't," Sakura cut in calmly, "but you go on and keep lying to yourself. I'm going to bed."

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"I pretty much know what you're gonna say here, but… what would you do?"

Sakura shrugged. "If it was me, I wouldn't be in your situation," she said coolly, "I would have been the one trying to get you to see me. See, I can understand where she's coming from… and I think you know why – but if things were reversed, and there was someone I didn't really care that much about…?" She trailed off thoughtfully, glancing back over her shoulder at Shikamaru. "I guess I would get off my high horse and make an effort to get to know them. It was sort of like this with me and Rock Lee – when we first met, I couldn't stand him. We're not like, dating now… but we ARE friends, and that's because I made the effort to see him for the person he is."

"And you don't think Lee wants more than what you're offering?" Shikamaru countered, folding his arms over his chest.

"Oh, I'm sure he does," Sakura said dismissively, "but you know something?"

"Hmm?"

Sakura turned away once more. "If I wasn't in love with someone else, I could see myself with Lee – and I think that, more than anything, that's why we're friends. He knows us being together is unlikely, but at least he knows that I gave it real, honest thought instead of just dismissing him out of hand." She paused for a moment, and when she spoke again, Shikamaru could hear the smile in her voice. "What more can people like us ask for, in this world?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, Sakura raised a hand and waved over her shoulder.

"Goodnight, Shikamaru-kun."

The chuunin sighed. "Goodnight, Sakura-chan."

Watching the girl walk away, Shikamaru threw his hands up in the air. _This is such a pain,_ he thought darkly, _ok, so, maybe that WAS a little harsh, but seeing her all dressed up like a stupid doll was sickening – everyone said so… and I'm not going to make someone change just for me. I don't want that much responsibility._

He frowned deeply at this last thought, not because it was really unexpected – avoiding responsibility was practically one of his ninja specialties – but because it was so vehement… so desperate, as if we was trying to convince himself that it was true.

"Damn it," he muttered, glancing up into the night sky, "and I like stargazing, too… man, I'm a prick."

_Sakuraba__ Inn, huh?_ he mused, _well maybe I should… nah, just let it go…_

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he started for home, but he walked right past his front door without so much as a second look, wandering aimlessly around the town for several hours with no real destination in mind, working over the events of the last few days and trying to remember when, exactly, he had stopped feeling uncomfortable around Temari and started looking forward to her tendency to pop out of a bush or appear seemingly from thin air to tap him on the shoulder, grinning broadly as she asked if he was ready to give up on being stubborn and actually enjoy himself.

It came as no real surprise to him when he finally raised his head and found himself standing in front of the Sakuraba Inn, already moving towards the entrance and trying to figure out what he was going to say when he knocked on Temari's door.

"Hope she's still up," he muttered.

Walking through the door of the small building, however, he found the innkeeper – a small, birdlike woman in her early forties – busily sweeping up… sand.

"Hello, Shikamaru," the woman said, noticing him after only a moment. "Isn't it a little late for you to be out?"

"I'm a chuunin know," Shikamaru reminded her, "my parents don't really keep a curfew for me anymore."

Not that they ever really had, of course… Shikamaru was the kind of person who was in before dark anyway, and tended to stay out of trouble – if only by nature of not wanting to be hassled.

"I don't suppose all that sand came from the three Sand nins staying here," he said casually, "you know… creepy guy with a gourd, creepy guy with red paint on his face, creepy girl with a big fan on her back? Are they still here?"

"Oh they left a couple hours ago," the innkeeper said, sounding relieved. "I guess they were supposed to go back a few DAYS ago, but the girl kept saying she had something she had to finish before she left, and that she might stay, if things went right." She shrugged. "Guess they didn't."

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah," he said, sounding deflated, "guess they didn't…"

Bowing his thanks, Shikamaru stepped out into the chilly evening air. _Damn it,_ he thought angrily, _I don't need to feel guilty over this!_

Slowly, he crouched down, leaning his back against the inn and touching his forefingers and thumbs together to make a circle in his lap. Closing his eyes, he considered what his next step would be. Follow her? Let her go? Run screaming through the town, bellowing that he was the lemon merchant and Chouji was the keeper of the cheese?

He smiled faintly at this last thought.

_Only two real options,_ he mused, rising to his feet. _Go home and go to sleep, or walk past home to the town gates. Simple decision, right? _

For another hour and a half, he stood in exactly the same spot, weighing the pros and cons of the 'simple' decision until his head began to throb. Finally, for the first time in his life… Shikamaru gave up on reason and allowed himself to run on pure emotion.

Pushing away from the inn's wall, he began walking towards his house.

The End

Author's notes: ha – just kidding. There's one more chapter to come… I just wanted to see how many people would actually shout 'HEY!!' at their screens over that lame final line. Ok, so, part 8 was finished before I was even halfway done with 7 – and before I'd even STARTED 6 (hey, I knew what was gonna happen, I just needed to get there) so I'll put it out in, ohhhh let's say three days. Yeah, three days feels like a nice round number. You can wait that long, can't you? Sure you can! Builds character.

I had some pre-read help on this chapter from Six String Samurai. He liked it. You should too… cuz he's kinda hard to please.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


	8. A Parting of Ways

Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 8

A Parting of Ways

By Random1377

Temari tried to stifle a yawn as she and her brothers paused at the edge of a small wood. She hated to admit that she was tired – especially in front of those two – but it had taken so much out of her to contain her usual energy and try to be a demure woman that she was verging on exhausted.

_For all the good it did me,_ she thought, following as her brothers started down the path between the trees, scanning the darkened foliage for any sign that they were not alone. _…jerk._

"I don't know what you wanted with that guy anyway," Kankuro said lazily, breaking the silence that had fallen since leaving the Hidden Leaf, "he's a loser. You can do way better than him."

Temari shrugged, giving Gaara a sideways glance. "Doesn't matter," she said quietly, "it's over now."

"He rejected you then?" Gaara said bluntly.

"Uh huh," Temari confirmed, her voice neutral. "Guess I'm not the kind of girl he likes."

Gaara nodded slowly. "Then… Kankuro is right. He is a loser."

Temari grinned. "…thanks, guys."

Shrugging indifferently, Kankuro muttered, "I just didn't want you to disgrace our village by getting involved with such a weak dumbass. What was his problem, anyway? You were too good for him?"

Biting her lip, Temari said, "I'm just not his kind of woman. Nothing I can do about it, I guess."

"Well, forget him," Kankuro said easily, "he's a punk."

Temari blew out an exasperated breath. "I wish it was that easy," she said angrily, "as pathetic as it sounds, I still kinda want to see him again."

Without breaking stride, Gaara said, "Well you still can… he's been following us for the past two miles."

Going stiff, Temari's eyes shot up to the trees surrounding the path. "He's not THAT good at stealth," she said, trying to pick the chuunin out of the shadows, "I would have noticed."

"You've been distracted," Gaara pointed out, "and he's been very careful."

"Kankuro, did you know?" Temari asked uncertainly, still unable to find Shikamaru in the tree cover.

"Eh, yeah," Kankuro yawned, "just didn't care. It's not like he's a threat… if he wants to bumble around in the shadows – whatever."

Gaara stopped. "You should resolve this," he said plainly, "it's clearly still bothering you."

"I'm fine," Temari said, keeping her voice level, "let's go."

"Very well."

They continued deeper into the forest, all three of them keeping track of the Leaf nin's movement's until the growing tension proved too much for Temari to take.

"Alright," she said grumpily, raising her voice as she came to a halt. "Come out, for God's sake – we all know you're here!"

She waited expectantly until one of the shadows moved, leaping agilely onto the path in front of her. "I wasn't trying to be that subtle," Shikamaru said, bowing politely.

The three Sand nins glanced at one another as if to say 'right, sure,' but said nothing as the chuunin brushed a few stray leaves off of his flak vest, giving the task his undivided attention and staring down as if nothing else in the world mattered.

"Well?" Temari said expectantly, finally losing her patience. "What do you want?"

Slowly, Shikamaru raised his head. "You still owe me two days," he said calmly.

The Sand nin looked incredulous. "You're kidding, right?" she snorted. "I'm pretty sure that agreement was off when you told me how you really felt. Is there anything else you want to waste my time on? Or was that it?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "No," he said coolly, "that was it… but I still want my two days. We had a deal."

"Gaara, Kankuro," Temari called, ignoring Shikamaru entirely; "I'm done. We're leaving."

As she turned to go, however, she felt her body freeze. _Shadow Bind,_ she thought, gritting her teeth, _that little prick!!_

"Will you listen?"

Temari tried to shrug, but Shikamaru's hold was absolute. "Doesn't look like I have a choice, does it?" she said bitterly.

Abruptly, her body was hers once more, allowing her to turn to face the chuunin. "Will you listen…?" he repeated softly.

"You have my attention," Temari said neutrally, "but if you bind me like that again… I'll kill you."

Shikamaru nodded, choosing his words carefully before beginning.

"I don't like you as a weak woman," he said slowly, "it doesn't suit you. In my mind, you'll always be strong and confident – a woman that never takes no for an answer, and would kill anyone that would question her loyalties. When I saw you in that kimono… it just looked so WRONG, and I…"

Temari frowned as he trailed off. "Go on," she murmured.

Bowing formally, Shikamaru said, "I apologize for what I said to you… and I want you to come back with me and give me a chance to make up for it."

"Mmm no," Temari replied immediately, turning away from him and waving over her shoulder. "See ya 'round, Shiki-san."

As she started to walk away, Shikamaru sighed. "Yare, yare," he said lightly, "if I had known it would have be so easy to get rid of you, I would have just said I didn't want you the first day." Shrugging slightly as the Sand nin's back went rigid, he added, "I could have saved us both four days of irritation, huh? Wasted time, I guess – a learning experience, my dad would say… I have to admit I'm relieved, though…"

Unable to resist the leading silence, Temari muttered, "And why's that?"

Shikamaru's voice was soft and cold as he made his reply.

"You showed me that I was wrong – I don't like weak women… so it's good that you're leaving."

Temari was on him in an instant, whirling around and springing at him so fast he did not even have time to blink. "Weak?" she hissed, shoving him up against a tree and tearing a kunai out of her hip holster. "I'm weak?? You condescending little SHIT! I was nice – and I'm not nice. I listened to you – and I don't listen to anyone! I dressed up in a goddamned KIMONO and made a fool of myself – and I DON'T MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF! How DARE you call me weak!! I did everything I could to make you see me – everything!"

His eyes never leaving hers even as she pressed her kunai up to his throat, Shikamaru whispered, "Everything but see through a childish temper tantrum. If you can't even see my fear when it's laid bare in front of you, how can you even HOPE to make me see-"

"Oi," Kankuro's voice interjected suddenly. "If you're gonna kill him, kill him… if not, stop fooling around and come eat. We left before dinner. I'm hungry."

Temari glanced around, finding Gaara and Kankuro watching the proceedings with identical expressions of faint amusement. "What's so damn funny?" she demanded, glaring from one to the other.

Gaara shrugged. "Nothing," he said softly, "it's just that…"

"…he really knows how to get you going," Kankuro said, finishing the thought as his younger brother trailed off. "I've seen you pissed off before, but damn – cutting a guy's throat just because he called you weak? That's like, something Gaara would do." He paled suddenly, realizing what he had just said. "Er, something Gaara WOULD have done," he said quickly.

The youngest of the Sand nins stepped forward, ignoring his brother's nervous glance as he walked up to Temari. "Sister," he said calmly, folding his arms and glancing up into the branches overhead, "what is it you want?"

Temari clenched her eyes closed. "I don't know anymore…" she admitted quietly, easing her kunai away from Shikamaru's throat. "I thought I'd found what I was looking for… but I'm not sure anymore."

"Then I'm definitely glad you're leaving," Shikamaru said softly, "if you're that easy to sway, you're not what I'M looking for,"

"Shut up," Temari said tiredly, "you're making me sick. You crush me like that and throw me away, and somehow that's my fault?? You-"

Shikamaru reached up, gently putting a finger over her lips. "People who care for each other often cause one another the most pain," he said simply, "moving past it, growing from it, apologizing for it, letting it make you stronger – that's what being in a relationship is. If you can't even accept an apology for something I've done wrong, then there's no way you're ready to be in a relationship with me."

Looking her straight in the eyes, he drove home his point with four simple words.

"You're still a child."

Temari looked sick as the chuunin pushed away from the tree, bowing to Gaara and Kankuro.

"Sorry to keep you from your dinner," he said smoothly, "I won't inconvenience you anymore."

As he turned to leave, Temari called out to him. "There's… probably enough for you to stay," she said, her cheeks flushing with shame as she kept her eyes on the ground. "If you wanted to, I mean."

Shikamaru nodded. "Are you just being polite to a visitor from another village?" he asked, smiling faintly as she finally lifted her chin. "Or are you actually inviting me?"

"Kankuro," Gaara said quietly, "let's get the fire ready."

"Did I miss something?" the puppeteer mumbled, scratching his head as his younger brother led him away, "I know I missed something…"

Temari and Shikamaru considering each other for several minutes, studying one another's face in complete silence as they tried to determine what the next step would be. After some time, Temari averted her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she mumbled, "This is never going to be easy for us, is it?"

"Nope," Shikamaru confirmed levelly. "Never."

"Don't go babbling on about the best things in life being difficult," Temari groaned, "please – I'm not up for it."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I wasn't going to," he said calmly, "that's too cliché. And I don't know if us being together would be one of the best things in life… or one of the worst."

"Gee, thanks," Temari said dryly.

"But I'm willing to give it a try."

Nodding slowly, Temari stepped closer to him, her eyes lidded and serious as she whispered, "Good, even after everything you said, I REALLY… want to know you…"

"Know me?" Shikamaru blurted, completely misunderstanding her intentions. "Like… KNOW me, know me??"

"No," Temari laughed softly, shaking her head from side to side, "I know it's too early for that kind of stuff. I want to know… you…"

Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably. "I still haven't figured out why," he admitted slowly, "I thought maybe it was BECAUSE I beat you in the chuunin exams, or because we fought together against that Sound nin… but that just doesn't seem like the whole story, and I can't… what, why are you laughing?"

Temari was covering her mouth with her hand, shaking her head as she replied with a muffled, "It's nothing."

"Grr," Shikamaru growled, "just tell me – I hate it when people do that."

"It's just that…" Temari's eyes were dancing with mischief as she gathered the correct words. "It's just that all this time I've been 'waging war' on you… I thought it would be so easy for you to understand that I never bothered to explain why."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You still haven't," he said dryly.

Sobering, Temari took his hands in hers and met his gaze head on. "I think I'm falling in love with you," she said without a trace of humor in her voice. "You're one of the smartest people I know, you're very handsome, and I think under that smokescreen of 'I don't give a damn' you throw out, you're really thoughtful and kindhearted. I don't think… people NEED a reason to be in love, Shikamaru, but if you have to have one it's that you are you. Nothing more, nothing less. If you need more than that, you'll need to give me some time to come up with it…"

Tentatively, she put her hands on his shoulders, leaning forward and giving him every opportunity to pull back or shove her away. When he did neither… Temari kissed him – and unlike the other two liberated (she hated to use the word stolen) kisses, this one was deep, lingering, intensely personal, and best of all, reciprocated.

After several moments, she pulled back, finally confessing to him the secret she had been holding for nearly a week. "We were ordered to come back five days ago… back to the Hidden Sand." She stared into his eyes. "I can… stay, if you ask me to – I've already talked to my sensei about it. She said if I'm invited, I can stay as long as I like… but if not, I must be across the borders of the Leaf by… well, three days ago. I've already pushed the limits of the treaty pretty far, but since we were there as emissaries, it's been overlooked until now."

"Oh," Shikamaru said awkwardly, averting his eyes. "So umm-"

"You don't HAVE to invite me to stay," Temari interrupted softly, "I just thought that… since it seems like things might actually work out between us, you should know what it would take to have me here past tonight."

"I see…"

Slowly, Temari smiled. "Think it over, Shikamaru-kun," she said seriously, "I know I'm a little more… aggressive than you'd like, but I think we have the potential to have something good going here." Her smile widened suddenly. "I know I'VE had a lot of fun so far."

In spite of himself, Shikamaru returned her smile. "I know you have," he chuckled, his smile fading. "Temari of the Sand," he said formally, reciting the ancient invitation as best he could remember it, "I hereby give you the right of invitation into my clan. Please accept, and let my home be as your home."

"Shikamaru of the Leaf," Temari replied seriously, "I accept your invitation." She grinned broadly. "Though I THINK you meant to say village, not clan. You're not asking me to marry you, are you?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yare, yare," he muttered, "I need to watch my mouth – one slip of the tongue with you and I'll end up supporting five screaming kids."

"It wouldn't be the tongue that slipped," Temari said dryly, "and no way am I having that many kids."

Relaxing slightly, Shikamaru went on as if she had not spoken. "Maybe even six – and a dog. We can get Kiba's family to give us one of theirs – they breed the rest on the whole continent."

"No way!" Temari declared, shaking her head vehemently. "If we get married – and damn it, that's looking like a pretty big IF at this rate – you'll get one kid, or maybe two… if you're lucky." She made a sour face. "I'm not the motherly type."

"…you can say that again."

"What??"

"Nothing."

"Grr…"

Grinning broadly, Shikamaru held out his hand. "We'll work it all out later," he said evenly, "if there IS a later. I've got ten bucks that says we don't last two weeks."

"Way to be positive," Temari said acidly, "I'm going to enjoy taking your money."

"I don't part with money."

"Well don't like, TRY to mess things up," the Sand nin complained, taking his hand and heading towards the fire, where her brothers were starting to cook dinner.

Shikamaru shrugged. "No guarantees," he said airily, "I've already made you mad enough to want to kill me after just one comment – imagine how you'll feel a week from now."

After considering this for a long moment, Temari smiled. "I'm pretty sure I'll still feel the same," she said quietly, "I don't fall in love every day – it's too hard. So I'll just work on not killing you."

"Gee, thanks."

Temari threw her head back and laughed, catching both of her brothers off guard as she stepped into the circle of firelight with Shikamaru. The two Sand nins exchanged a meaningful glance, trying to remember the last time their sister had EVER laughed – let alone so honestly.

They nodded to each other, deciding in that instant that while neither of them knew Shikamaru all that well, they would do their best to be nice to him.

After all, anyone that could bring a smile to the stern, serious face of Temari of the Sand could not be all that bad… and based on the brilliance of the smile she was giving him, it was definitely time for a parting of ways. Assured that their sister was in good hands, they relaxed, sharing the warmth of their fire with the young chuunin and trying to deiced how best to tell their sensei that Temari would not be coming home for some time.

The End

Author's Notes: you weren't looking for an angst ending, were you? This IS posted as a romance, ya know. Ah well, hopefully it wasn't too sappy. I really tried to make it low-key and at least moderately realistic, since people don't usually go from casual acquaintances to full-on, head-over-heels LOVERS. Yeah, it happens… but usually it's a slow process. I'm rambling again. Time to wrap things up. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I think maybe I'll do another Naruto fic some day. Who knows? Maybe it'll even have Naruto in it for more than 2 pages.

Anything's possible.

Advance read on this story was done by Six String Samurai – my main source for Naruto lore and fact. Thanks man. It's been fun. Now just wait for my Naruto/Sasuke/Chouji/Kiba all-male super yaoi love square! …just don't hold your breath while you're waiting.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.


End file.
